1Until like fire a prophet appeared,

his words a flaming furnace.a

2The staff of life, their bread, he shattered,

and in his zeal he made them few in number.

3By God’s word he shut up the heavens

and three times brought down fire.b

4How awesome are you, Elijah!

Whose glory is equal to yours?

5You brought a dead body back to life

from Sheol, by the will of the Lord.c

6You sent kings down to destruction,

and nobles, from their beds of sickness.d

7You heard threats at Sinai,

at Horeb avenging judgments.e

8You anointed the agent of these punishments,

the prophet to succeed in your place.f

9You were taken aloft in a whirlwind,

in a chariot with fiery horses.g

10You are destined, it is written, in time to come

to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord,

To turn back the hearts of parents toward their children,

and to re-establish the tribes of Israel.h

11Blessed is the one who shall have seen you before he dies!*

12When Elijah was enveloped in the whirlwind,

Elisha was filled with his spirit;*

He worked twice as many marvels,i

and every utterance of his mouth was wonderful.

During his lifetime he feared no one,

nor was anyone able to intimidate his will.

13Nothing was beyond his power;j

and from where he lay buried, his body prophesied.*

14In life he performed wonders,

and after death, marvelous deeds.

15Despite all this the people did not repent,

nor did they give up their sins,

Until they were uprooted from their land

and scattered all over the earth.